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Rab Neutrino 800 Review

A good choice for temps between 0 and 30F
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Rab Neutrino 800 Review
Credit: Rab
Price:  $565 List
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Manufacturer:   Rab
By Matt Bento ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Apr 1, 2019
66
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#8 of 13
  • Warmth - 20% 7.0
  • Weight - 20% 7.0
  • Comfort - 20% 7.0
  • Packed Size - 15% 7.0
  • Weather Resistance - 15% 5.0
  • Features - 10% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Rab Neutrino 800 has a similar look and feel as the value-studded Rab Ascent 900, but it's warmer, lighter, more compressible and (you guessed it!) more expensive. While the Ascent series is geared towards affordability, the Neutrino is equipped to run with the big dogs, offering performance closer to top-shelf offerings from Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, and Big Agnes, at a relatively friendly price. This bag uses 800 fill power goose down and Pertex Quantum on the exterior and the interior to keep the weight low and the warmth and compressibility factors high.
REASONS TO BUY
Good warm-to-weight ratio
Very compressible
REASONS TO AVOID
Not as warm or as comfortable as the Kodiak
Product Updates

Rab has updated the Neutrino 800 since we last tested it. The new bag (shown above in the cover photo) has a new color scheme and slightly different baffle configuration, but the overall specs remain the same.

April 2022

Compare to Similar Products

 
rab neutrino 800
This Product
Rab Neutrino 800
Awards  Top Pick Award
Best Simple Design with Weather-Resistance
Top Pick Award
Best for Fast and Light Winter Camping
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for Your Buck
 
Price $565 List
$565.00 at Backcountry
$600 List
$353.93 at REI
$680 List
$640.00 at Backcountry
Check Price at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
$226.38 at Amazon
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Overall Score Sort Icon
66
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59
Star Rating
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Bottom Line This bag offers decent warmth and weight for $100 less than the top performersThis lightweight sleeping bag comfortably cradles you with warm, lofty downExcellent for moving in the mountains in cold weather, this model is lightweight, packs small, and stays true to its temperature ratingThis budget bag offers protection from the elements via a large draft tube and plush draft collarFor those who expect to sit out a storm and play cards or want an inexpensive throw bag for car camping, this is an economical option
Rating Categories Rab Neutrino 800 The North Face Infe... Mountain Hardwear P... Mountain Hardwear B... Marmot Never Summer 0
Warmth (20%)
7.0
8.0
8.1
7.0
6.0
Weight (20%)
7.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Comfort (20%)
7.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
Packed Size (15%)
7.0
6.0
8.0
5.0
5.0
Weather Resistance (15%)
5.0
9.0
6.0
7.0
6.0
Features (10%)
6.0
6.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Specs Rab Neutrino 800 The North Face Infe... Mountain Hardwear P... Mountain Hardwear B... Marmot Never Summer 0
Measured Weight (size Regular) 2.85 lbs 2.68 lbs 2.68 lbs 3.13 lbs 3.19 lbs
Fill Weight 28.0 oz 29 oz 29.6 oz 35.0 oz 36.2 oz
Type of Down Fill European Goose Down Down RDS Certified Goose Down RDS Cert/Fluorine Free Down Down
Fill Power 800 800 850 650 650
Material Weight (excludes down filling) 17.7 oz 13.9 oz 13.3 oz 15.1 oz 14.9 oz
Temperature Rating -4°F 0°F 0°F 0°F 0°F
Pocket Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Shoulder Girth 59" 64" 58" 62" 62"
Hip Girth 51" 60" 52" 53" 57"
Foot Girth 49" 44" Not listed Not listed 48.5"
Shell Material Pertex Quantum 15D recycled nylon, 30D nylon taffeta 10D Nylon Ghost ripstop, DWR finish 20-Denier ripstop nylon 20-Denier ripstop nylon
Continuous Baffle Yes Not listed No Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


rab neutrino 800 - after sitting out for around 15 minutes, this bag has an impressive...
After sitting out for around 15 minutes, this bag has an impressive amount of loft.
Credit: Matt Bento

Warmth


Rab gives the Neutrino 800 a lower limit of -4F. While local temps didn't dip below zero during our testing period, we suspect we'd be pretty uncomfortable at that temperature, and would probably want an additional down puffy jacket and booties around 0.
rab neutrino 800 - this bag isn't as warm as the similarly rated western mountaineering...
This bag isn't as warm as the similarly rated Western Mountaineering Kodiak, but it is less expensive than our Editor's Choice Award winner.
Credit: Matt Bento

Weight


The Rab Neutrino 800 weighs 45.65 oz or 2.85 lbs according to our scales, which happen to be the exact same weight as our Editors' Choice Award winner, the Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF. However, the Kodiak is warmer, uses higher quality down, and has a roomier cut, which makes it more comfortable. Because the Kodiak uses lighter materials and better down, it has a better warmth-to-weight ratio. The Neutrino has a good warmth-to-weight ratio just not as good as the top-performing bags. It's worth noting that the Neutrino costs significantly less than most of these bags.

rab neutrino 800 - this bag weighs 45.6 oz after you subtract the weight of our stuff...
This bag weighs 45.6 oz after you subtract the weight of our stuff sack.
Credit: Matt Bento

Comfort


The Neutrino 800 feels much wider than its measurements suggests because it's less tapered than some of the other bags with similar measurements. The slight taper makes for plenty of room to roll around if you're a smaller person. Extra room in a sleeping bag will let you sleep in a variety of positions, but remember that extra room equates to uninsulated dead space, so when it's really cold you should fill that space with extra clothes and puffy jackets. The extra room makes this bag a less efficient insulator and not the top choice for ounce-counters who are trying to move fast in the backcountry. It does make this bag a better choice for base camping and long trips where you'll be spending a lot of time in your bag.

rab neutrino 800 - the elastic drawstrings are very stretchy, leaving lots of slack...
The elastic drawstrings are very stretchy, leaving lots of slack dangling inside the bag when you cinch the hood down tight.
Credit: Matt Bento

Packed Size


This bag is very compressible for its warmth. It comes with what's described as a “dry bag compression stuff sack,” but the sack doesn't have any actual compression straps. We packed it into the same compression sack that we used with the warmer bags, and the Neutrino packs away slightly smaller than these bags.

rab neutrino 800 - for its warmth, this is an exceptionally compressible sleeping bag.
For its warmth, this is an exceptionally compressible sleeping bag.
Credit: Matt Bento

Weather Resistance


This bag features down that has a Nikwax hydrophobic treatment to help the down maintain some of its loft if it gets weight and speeds up the bag's drying time. We aren't ripping open these $500+ sleeping bags and looking at the down, so we're not sure how much weather resistance we can really attribute to the Nikwax treatment. What we can see is how well water beads up on the shell fabric and how long it takes to wet out, and the Pertex shell fabric does a fine job of repelling light mist and melting frost, but we don't recommend sleeping in this bag while exposed in a heavy rainstorm.

rab neutrino 800 - a pertex quantum shell is our first defense against moisture, with...
A Pertex Quantum shell is our first defense against moisture, with Nikwax Hydrophobic down for back up.
Credit: Matt Bento

Features


We like the Neutrino's small zippered internal pocket that will keep your phone, headlamp, and a few camera batteries warm, dry, and easily accessible while you sleep. We don't like this bag's hood and collar cinch cords. They are elastic and are very long, so when we tightened the cords to snug the hood around our faces, it left long loops of slack that hang uncomfortably in the bag. The extra slack issue can probably be solved with some careful aftermarket modification. The zipper snags a lot more than the zippers found on the Western Mountaineering bags.

rab neutrino 800 - a draft collar keeps out the drafts, with one cinch cord dedicated...
A draft collar keeps out the drafts, with one cinch cord dedicated for the collar, and another for the hood.
Credit: Matt Bento

Value


For the money, this bag is a good deal. It's over 150 dollars less than creme de la creme of bags and is pretty versatile because of its low weight and full-length zipper.

rab neutrino 800 - the toe box provides ample space for our testers boot liners. he...
The toe box provides ample space for our testers boot liners. He likes it.
Credit: Matt Bento

Conclusion


This bag isn't quite the screaming deal as its heavier and less expensive cousin, the Rab Accent 900. It does provide a less expensive option, with good performance, just a notch below the top performers in this review. If you want to save a hundred bucks or more and you'll be facing temps in the teens on your adventures this winter, you can expect to sleep comfortably in the Neutrino 800. It's a great bag, but there are a few higher-end models that outperform it.

Matt Bento